Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

By our correspondent, New Delhi, 1 April 2013

While Gujarat Congress is involved in a fight with the ruling BJP government over the issue of water, here is an important piece of information.

As many as 79 proposals in the state of Gujarat are pending with the Railways for their clearance for crossings of railway tracks for various water supply projects.

In a reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of the state in the ministry of Railways Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal has recently replied: Railways receive requests from various agencies/individuals for crossings of railway tracks for various purposes including relating to water supply. Such proposals are examined and permission is granted if the proposal is complete, feasible, does not affect safety of trains, and after the party has deposited the required fees and met with all the procedural requirements. At present 79 proposals in the state of Gujarat are under consideration with zonal railways. This is an on going process and Railway strives to accord approval on fast track.

It should be mentioned here that canal, pipeline and other water supply works are going on in full speed in Gujarat’s drought affected areas at present, but wherever there’s a railway line, the projects halt, because to cross a railway line, permission from Indian Railways is needed, and this takes too long time.

While central government itself has declared Gujarat’s 17 districts drought affected, all valid proposals of such nature should be cleared maximum in a week or so on fast track basis. Gujarat Congress leaders are free to issue statements on water availability in drought affected areas, and it is their right as opposition party, but at the same time they must do a duty for state to pressurize their government in centre for fast clearance of pending proposals related to water pipelines and canals.